NASA's proposed budget for next year is $18.7 billion. Shelby's office said this is a $903 million, or 5.1 percent, increase over the 2009 budget. "Yet it still does not begin to provide enough for NASA to do all of the critical missions it has been asked to do," Shelby said during a Commerce, Justice and Science subcommittee hearing. "The proposed budget has welcomed increases in the areas of science and exploration, and maintains aeronautics funding at an acceptable level. However, more than 21 percent of NASA's budget, nearly $4 billion, is being set aside as a placeholder while NASA turns its manned space program over to what will hopefully be an independent and un-constrained blue ribbon panel."

Shelby is concerned that the budget request has come later this year, due to the fact there is a new administration in the White House, and that human spaceflight efforts are being put on hold while NASA undergoes a three month review by a panel headed by aerospace veteran Norm Augustine. Shelby also criticized the Obama White House on naming a new NASA administrator.

"In the case of the future for human space flight and some lunar science missions, the Administration has made Norm Augustine the de facto interim administrator, further delaying any plan for over $4 billion of NASA's budget until weeks before the start of the fiscal year," Shelby said. "Such timing will not allow for NASA to potentially re-plan a major component of their budget, or for Congress to review for inclusion this funding in fiscal year 2010. Rather than rush such a monumental decision, any suggested changes should inform the development of the 2011 budget once the ramifications of the recommendations can be fully vetted and authorized by Congress."